I Am An American

I was born and raised in this country. My family came over on boats long ago as most have. I have never aligned with a specific political party and was taught that to be American, I ought not.

What does it mean to me to be an American?

It means understanding how this country was founded. The ideas, principles, philosophies, thoughts and experiences that made it possible for America to advance faster and achieve more than any other nation on the planet in recorded human history. In just over 200 years, we did more than most nations that had been here for thousands prior. The Founders stood on the shoulders of giants, learned from other great thinkers, studied history, law, pondered for months and years without the distractions we have today. They were truly great men, all things considered. They wanted to build something that was flexible enough to change as the People changed, but rigid enough to uphold a set of values and principles that could withstand the test of time.

It means having a great respect for these men and what they did. It means educating yourself as a countryman or countrywoman, to know what this country was meant to represent and what the importance is of changing it. It means recognizing when the government has overstepped its boundaries and how to push back against tyranny. The government was not founded for America to have government, it truly was founded to protect the People from government. As an American, it is our responsibility to keep our government in check the same way you would a neighbor - with a good fence - and that fence is our Constitution, Bill of Rights and Declaration of Independence. As an American, it is equally important to understand how these incredible documents came to be, not just what they say and mean.

As an American, it is my responsibility to help enlighten and educate other Americans, who might be new here and don't fully understand our culture, or who might be long standing citizens who equally don't understand our culture. To embrace them so that they will embrace our laws and the responsibilities we have to our Country. As an American, the Founders wanted this, and expected it in order for our great Republic to withstand the mix of cultures that our laws and freedoms would tolerate, far beyond the rest of the world. America was designed to accept people of all nations, and yet we are today one of the most divided over just two or three types of political ideologies as if they were people from warring nations.

The Founders did not all have the same ideas and beliefs, yet they managed to come up with a compromise that is rarely ever talked about. The debates that raged on for months and years to arrive at what we have today are now just whispers in time, lost to history and books that are no longer taught from.

I would ask that no matter what your political ideology is, that you spend time to get to know the Founders a bit more personally. See what they said for themselves, what they wrote about, what they thought about, debated about, dreamed about, and imagined for this amazing Country.

Here are some excellent books worth reading:

Books that were written about or read and influenced George Washington

The Law of Nations - Emerich de Vattel

Rules of Civility - Richard Brookhiser (highly recommended)

George Washington: The Indispensable Man, by James T. Flexner

Washington: A Life, by Ron Chernow

Thomas Jefferson

Tristram Shandy - Laurence Sterne

Notes on the State of Virginia - Thomas Jefferson (highly recommended)

Two Treatises of Government - John Locke (highly recommended)

Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power - Jon Meacham

Thomas Jefferson and the New Nation - Merrill D. Peterson

James Madison

The Federalist Papers - James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, John Jay (highly recommended)

James Madison - Irving Brant

James Madison (The American Presidents Series) - Garry Wills

The Last of the Fathers: James Madison and the Republican Legacy - Drew McCoy

The Republic of Letters: The Correspondence Between Jefferson and Madison

Benjamin Franklin

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin - Benjamin Franklin (highly recommended)

The Way to Wealth - Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin: An American Life - Walter Isaacson (highly recommended)

The Americanization of Benjamin Franklin - Gordon S. Wood (highly recommended)

John Adams

John Adams - David McCullough (highly recommended)

Novanglus: A History of the Dispute with America - John Adams (highly recommended)

John Winthrop: America's Forgotten Founding Father - Francis J. Bremer

Other

The 5000 Year Leap - W. Cleon Skousen

Alexander Hamilton - Ron Chernow

Common Sense - Thomas Paine

There are many more. The Founders were not perfect, not by a long shot. They were human, and humans make mistakes, therefore, they made mistakes. Knowing their intentions with context by reading about them and their own words will change the way you look at our government today, and you will instantly see the direction we are headed in is toward nation annihilation.

As an American, our job is to fix it. Stop the divisiveness on party lines, and look at what is wrong through the lens of our Founders and an American, not a Liberal, Democrat, Republican, Independent or any other ideology you align with. Align yourself with the Constitution and what it represents, not just what it says. Understand what it means to be an American and not play party politics.

Please feel free to contribute what you think it means to be an American, and any literature that would help others who might not have the knowledge our Founders intended.

~Namaste

a reply to: SonOfTheLawOfOne

Now let me say first off, I'm not always right. Sometimes I make mistakes and sometimes I'm not the brightest knife in the bowling alley.

But I always try to argue from the point of the Constitution, defending the Constitution.

That way, anyone who disagrees with me is actually disagreeing with the Constitution.

Im proud to be an American

What characterizes American government today is not so much dysfunctional politics as it is ruthlessly contrived governance carried out behind the entertaining curtain of political theater.....circus politics.

Stop the divisiveness on party lines, and look at what is wrong through the lens of our Founders and an American, not a Liberal, Democrat, Republican, Independent or any other ideology you align with.

Easier said than done.

IF the FF's were alive to day. They most like get impeached, and a miracle of modern technology the mass media would spin the narrative.

No amount of reading will fix whats broken in this country, and it's the people most of all.

I applaud the ops effort, but just being a realist.

a reply to: SonOfTheLawOfOne

Well stated, and written. It is unfortunate that more ppl do not take the time to research the founding of the nation, and the ideals that the Constitution promotes.

This is an area where the education system has been woefully negligent. Negligence by design is probably more accurate.

Good luck with your endeavor to educate the masses, but it has been my experience that most ppl will not be willing participants.

a reply to: SonOfTheLawOfOne

Do Americans have some sort of insecurity issue?

They keep going on about their foundation. You don't here that from any ATS members from other countries and how their country began.

Weird.

The government and its cohorts have conspired to ensure that the only real recourse the American people have to hold the government accountable or express their displeasure with the government is through voting, which is no real recourse at all.

Consider it the penalties for civil disobedience, whistleblowing and rebellion are severe.
If you refuse to pay taxes for government programs you believe to be immoral or illegal, you will go to jail.
If you attempt to overthrow the government — or any agency thereof — because you believe it has overstepped its reach, you will go to jail.

If you attempt to blow the whistle on government misconduct, you will go to jail

You cannot have a republican form of government nor a democratic one, for that matter when the government views itself as superior to the citizenry, when it no longer operates for the benefit of the people, when the people are no longer able to peacefully reform their government, when government officials cease to act like public servants, when elected officials no longer represent the will of the people, when the government routinely violates the rights of the people and perpetrates more violence against the citizenry than the criminal class, when government spending is unaccountable and unaccounted for, when the judiciary act as courts of order rather than justice, and when the government is no longer bound by the laws of the Constitution.

Your post is only an American dream....

a reply to: SonOfTheLawOfOne

Being an american for me means having the freedom to choose the same
personal weapon to protect my family with. As the one I take into battle
to die for both. Because a mans no.1 job above all is to protect his family.
And that includes protecting my right to do so. And a man must never be
blind to the brutal rigid unforgiving world he lives in.

a reply to: SonOfTheLawOfOne

That was very heartfelt, and we are proud that you are proud.

BUT....

You Are American....So are Canadians, Mexicans, Brazilians, Argentinians, etc etc....
Perhaps you should say you are a US citizen or a USAnian.
All "Your" great achievements, as a country, were from People from Europe, including all the bad things.

Invading another land and killing and displacing its original people, is one.....but that has been the way of man since...forever.

Your constitution, and founders were all either born in Europe or only one generation from the Home country.

They had their ideals and ideas....but it was all from experiences, knowledge, and assistance from "Back Ome".

George Washington probably still spoke with an English accent, as did everyone else at the "Founding" (or Irish or Scottish or German).

The country of the USA, only exists because of migration of European Peoples, the settlers, the convicts, the Military, the destitute, the press ganged, the pirates, the crooks........and the religious nutters etc etc.

Prior to the Europeans, it was a land of 500 Nation native peoples.

Still, we luvs ya cousin........

originally posted by: alldaylong
a reply to: SonOfTheLawOfOne

Do Americans have some sort of insecurity issue?

They keep going on about their foundation. You don't here that from any ATS members from other countries and how their country began.

Weird.

Not really.

Our Constitution was written to limit the size, scope and reach of government.

As you can obviously see, the Constitution is always under attack by those who have sworn to uphold and defend it.

originally posted by: alldaylong
a reply to: SonOfTheLawOfOne

Do Americans have some sort of insecurity issue?

They keep going on about their foundation. You don't here that from any ATS members from other countries and how their country began.

Weird.

I think that's just an excuse. It's all about being afraid of change. That's why the following groups/persons are attacked:
Greta
Transgender
Women
Muslims
Climate activists
Scientists
Artists
Among other things, it is about the predominance of the white race (including the overweight ones). It is about fear, anger and frustration. Because the world is changing rapidly and nothing can be done about it. Paranoia, the fear of the evil superiority that comes and takes away your weapons. Next McDonalds is abolished. And then there's civil war. With axes against combat robots. Who will win?

originally posted by: oloufo

originally posted by: alldaylong
a reply to: SonOfTheLawOfOne

Do Americans have some sort of insecurity issue?

They keep going on about their foundation. You don't here that from any ATS members from other countries and how their country began.

Weird.

I think that's just an excuse. It's all about being afraid of change. That's why the following groups/persons are attacked:
Greta
Transgender
Women
Muslims
Climate activists
Scientists
Artists
Among other things, it is about the predominance of the white race (including the overweight ones). It is about fear, anger and frustration. Because the world is changing rapidly and nothing can be done about it. Paranoia, the fear of the evil superiority that comes and takes away your weapons. Next McDonalds is abolished. And then there's civil war. With axes against combat robots. Who will win?

The Ministry of Truth has spoken.

a reply to: oloufo

What a pathetic reply.

You're playing the race card?

How about standing for the Constitution, what our NATION was founded on.

You have too much hate and vitriol peppering your posts.

It's rather sad and pathetic.

originally posted by: neo96

originally posted by: oloufo

originally posted by: alldaylong
a reply to: SonOfTheLawOfOne

Do Americans have some sort of insecurity issue?

They keep going on about their foundation. You don't here that from any ATS members from other countries and how their country began.

Weird.

I think that's just an excuse. It's all about being afraid of change. That's why the following groups/persons are attacked:
Greta
Transgender
Women
Muslims
Climate activists
Scientists
Artists
Among other things, it is about the predominance of the white race (including the overweight ones). It is about fear, anger and frustration. Because the world is changing rapidly and nothing can be done about it. Paranoia, the fear of the evil superiority that comes and takes away your weapons. Next McDonalds is abolished. And then there's civil war. With axes against combat robots. Who will win?

The Ministry of Truth has spoken.

...while listening 'The Wall'.
I don't know any more than you do. I am for freedom and justice. For the dignity of every human being. No matter where he comes from. I know that I am a smart-ass. Like a real German.

a reply to: oloufo

I am for freedom and justice.

Doesn't sound like it.

originally posted by: DBCowboy
a reply to: oloufo

What a pathetic reply.

You're playing the race card?

How about standing for the Constitution, what our NATION was founded on.

You have too much hate and vitriol peppering your posts.

It's rather sad and pathetic.

How about calming down? You sit in the warmth, have water connection, internet, food, the electricity works. You have all this because there is a system that holds everything together. Solidarity, community, dependence. Together instead of against each other. That's what it's all about. You can't win a fight with agitation, lies and insults against dissenters. If you already want to fight against something, then instead of attacking little girls or older ladies, you should try it with the banks, the oil magnates, the billionaires, the dictators, the sadists and psychos of this world. I am rather harmless.

originally posted by: neo96
a reply to: oloufo

I am for freedom and justice.

Doesn't sound like it.

You can express your opinion, it's called freedom of speech. I have my own opinion. And that is also freedom of speech. I do not forbid you your opinion, nobody does.

I was around 18 when the Wall comes down and changed the world. My Dad was born in Berlin. I've visited the concentration camp in Dachau. I know the history of my country, so i know about freedom and justice. And that is why I am a convinced anti-fascist and European.

originally posted by: oloufo
I am rather harmless.

On the contrary.

You are very dangerous.

Because you and others like you are foolish enough to actually defend the bankers, billionaires and join the chorus in removing rights of the rest of us because your masters tell you to do so.

originally posted by: DBCowboy

originally posted by: oloufo
I am rather harmless.

On the contrary.

You are very dangerous.

Because you and others like you are foolish enough to actually defend the bankers, billionaires and join the chorus in removing rights of the rest of us because your masters tell you to do so.

In reality I go to work, spend a lot of time with my girlfriend, watch movies, read, go shopping, surf the internet, listen to music, lounge, meet friends, cycle, walk, talk on the phone with friends, watch football or news, and sometimes i think about UFOs or Trump and how crazy it all is. I don't follow a plan, and nobody whispers slogans in my ear. My girlfriend is my master (but only when it comes to cleaning up). And otherwise I listen to my loved ones. The Internet is a distortion of reality.

a reply to: oloufo

No.

I've always argued for personal freedoms and liberties.

I can't remember a time when we've ever agreed.

So I'd call your claim false.